Halfords Pro socket set at £99

[Alan M]

If you do buy make sure you keep your receipt. I returned with a broken star socket - they were a bit funny about replacing it stating that the terms of the life time guarantee state you must produce the receipt.

 

[nick mercedes]

Halfords have a 150 socket/spanner set with a lifetime warranty at £99.

they seem to be high quality for an amateur like me and the life time warranty makes it seem a sweet deal.

any views or other recomendations?.

"Good set of tools for both AF and metric"

So half of the sockets will be usless AF ones.

£100 for a cheapo socket set is not really much of a deal...

Consider:

http://www.northerntooluk.com/hand-tools/socket-sets/40-pc-socket-set_187192E.html

Or:

http://www.northerntooluk.com/hand-tools/socket-sets/72pc-metric-socket-set-158101e.html

 

[IanT]

£100 for a cheapo socket set is not really much of a deal...

That was the point, the Halfords Pro range aren't really 'cheapo' tools, they're pretty well made, good quality and stand up well to regular use. There are always cheaper alternatives.

Ian.

 

[lil.smartie]

40-Pc Socket Set | Northern Tool + Equipment

Or:

72 Piece Metric Socket Set | Northern Tool + Equipment

Hmm Northern Tools, still waiting for some bits from a year ago. The order we did get was about 6 mths and 20 phone calls wait for delivery...
The apprentices both have that Halfords kit, works well for them.

Kate

 

[lynall]

If you do buy make sure you keep your receipt. I returned with a broken star socket - they were a bit funny about replacing it stating that the terms of the life time guarantee state you must produce the receipt.

Bloke at counter did tell me this so ive kept receipt, original packing and the silly tin or plastic boxs they came in.

The impact sockets came with four a/f sockets which made me laugh cant remember last time i used a/f anything.



Lynall

 

[IanT]

The impact sockets came with four a/f sockets which made me laugh cant remember last time i used a/f anything.

LOL, the big kit comes with a whole line of AF sockets that I initially laughed at, then I went and bought a derelict Vauxhall 10 that had been living in a barn for over 40 years...

YouTube - Vauxhall 10 - First start in 41 years

Suffice to say some of the AF set has been fairly useful, but I need to buy some Whitworth as well now.

Ian.

 

[Lugy]

I've started to buy quite a few Halfords tools recently and I'm impressed with what you get for your hard earned. I also get quite a lot of Machine Mart stuff too which I can't fault.

I wouldnt buy that set for one reason only, all the sockets are mutlipoint, ie 12 point and are a right pain especially on damaged fasteners, you want sockets with 6 points as they dont damage the nuts or bolts you are undoing.

Also the sockets look like they have quite a large taper on the leading edge of the entry side of the socket so wont work on really shallow nuts and difficult to reach ones.

I dont own any 12 point sockets at home or at work.

Old boy told me this 20 years ago and its good advice, in fact quite a few of the sockets i still use at work are 20 years old and are all 6 point.

Plus you wont even use a lot of the stuff in the kit.

I know thats more than one reason but you get my drift



Lynall

Wait until you get asked to do the front hub on a TD5 Discovery or the HG on a Ford Ranger Both use the multispline head bolts

Snap-On anyone?

Try having a few beers and going on American ebay

It's part of the reason I now have one of these;

All I can say is that if you're serious about DIYing then you need one .

Cost around £200 secondhand and worth every penny.

 

[219]

If you do buy make sure you keep your receipt. I returned with a broken star socket - they were a bit funny about replacing it stating that the terms of the life time guarantee state you must produce the receipt.

I've never had occasion to replace anything , however , at no time during any purchases made was this ever pointed out to me , nor have I seen it on any of the packaging .

Since practically every item in these kits has 'Halfords' imprinted somewhere , it would be pretty hard for them to deny the tools were bought from them .

Common law and unfair contracts come to mind - although being polite but firm and asking nicely in the first place usually gets the desired result .

How many people would still have receipts for such items years down the line ? Certainly not me .

I keep receipts for things like watches , cameras , hi-fi , cars ..... but not 'spanners' etc .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Maybe they need the receipt because the guarantee is not transferable?

 

[James Rothwell]

I never realised how expensive Snap-On stuff is, the techs have a van/lorry that comes round every couple of weeks and they buy tools off it. I was amazed at the prices!! One of the guys was telling me that one of his drawers on his toolbox has about £4k worth of snap-on bits in it!! MENTAL! Now I understand why they all lock their boxes at weekends.

 

[Alan M]

I've never had occasion to replace anything , however , at no time during any purchases made was this ever pointed out to me , nor have I seen it on any of the packaging .

Since practically every item in these kits has 'Halfords' imprinted somewhere , it would be pretty hard for them to deny the tools were bought from them .

Common law and unfair contracts come to mind - although being polite but firm and asking nicely in the first place usually gets the desired result .

How many people would still have receipts for such items years down the line ? Certainly not me .

I keep receipts for things like watches , cameras , hi-fi , cars ..... but not 'spanners' etc .

I didn't have my receipt, but being politely firm did get me my replacement. I was of the same mind as you- who keeps their receipt for this type of thing, but I did see the requirement in small print on the tool display stating this after getting my replacement.

 

[Lugy]

I never realised how expensive Snap-On stuff is, the techs have a van/lorry that comes round every couple of weeks and they buy tools off it. I was amazed at the prices!! One of the guys was telling me that one of his drawers on his toolbox has about £4k worth of snap-on bits in it!! MENTAL! Now I understand why they all lock their boxes at weekends.

My dad has around the same, but they've largely been the same ones since he started 25 years ago or so. I wonder if I'll inherit them.............

 

[Lugy]

I've never had occasion to replace anything , however , at no time during any purchases made was this ever pointed out to me , nor have I seen it on any of the packaging .

Since practically every item in these kits has 'Halfords' imprinted somewhere , it would be pretty hard for them to deny the tools were bought from them .

Common law and unfair contracts come to mind - although being polite but firm and asking nicely in the first place usually gets the desired result .

How many people would still have receipts for such items years down the line ? Certainly not me .

I keep receipts for things like watches , cameras , hi-fi , cars ..... but not 'spanners' etc .

Personally if a socket cracked 4 years down the line then I'd not be too bothered at having to spend a couple of quid on a new one. I do understand the principle though.

 

[Will]

Snap-on stuff is expensive, but if you buy from the US it's about the same price in dollars as it is in sterling. And if you buy secondhand it'll never really lose it's value.

I have a reasonable selection of snap-on stuff that I bought when I was younger and did a lot more DIY with cars/motorbikes. I used to buy bits and pieces as I needed them on the principle that the money I'd have spent paying for the work covered the cost of the tools (and more usually), and if I bought them used/from the US etc then I could always get the majority of the money back if/when I needed it. It's nice to know it's always got a resale value, just look on eBay at what all the old snap-on stuff fetches.

Not trying to justify the cost of the stuff or anything, but I've still got it all and I've forgotton what it all cost now

Only snap-on tool I ever broke was a circlip plier.

Will

 

[boomtings]

I ended up buying the halfords set , probably never use half the set but took four return trips to get the set right.

1st sold 120 piece set with bits missing,

2nd replaced missing bits and told this is new version of set.

3rd trip , went back because i confirmed from halfords website that I had been given 120 piece kit. given correct kit

4th trip 150 piece replacement had two bits missing.

IMO Halfords is similar to PCworld in that the staff are clueless!

 

[Alan M]

IMO Halfords is similar to PCworld in that the staff are clueless!

You are generally better going during the week as on weekends they often use part time staff. I used to be one many years ago, but I was the only one who knew how to correctly set up a bike for sale. (Used to belong to a club and race them)

 

[lynall]

All I can say is that if you're serious about DIYing then you need one .

Cost around £200 secondhand and worth every penny.

Sold my snap on one recently on e bay and bough myself a ingersoll rand 192 model pretty good, was going to get new sanp on one but it only had 12mth warranty ir one has 36 months

I never realised how expensive Snap-On stuff is, the techs have a van/lorry that comes round every couple of weeks and they buy tools off it. I was amazed at the prices!! One of the guys was telling me that one of his drawers on his toolbox has about £4k worth of snap-on bits in it!! MENTAL! Now I understand why they all lock their boxes at weekends.

New bloke started at our place a few weeks ago and was concerned about his toolbox as it had cost him £1500, mine cost more than twice that years ago as for 4k times that by 5 and you can have my box and all its contents! mind you thats 20 years worth.

 

[Sorry Pete]

Got my set today, way more sockets than I'll ever need, but it looks well-made, and a great price. Thanks to the OP for the tip!

 

[SilverSaloon]

if you do buy make sure you keep your receipt. I returned with a broken star socket - they were a bit funny about replacing it stating that the terms of the life time guarantee state you must produce the receipt.

+1.

i've bought quite a few of their individual sockets. i was told its fine without the reciept but keep the plastic "hook" thing it comes with with the barcode on it.

i simply use these to hang them up on my garage wall.

 

[goldestate]

Sellotape receipt inside plastic bag inside box